The mineral inventory of a mining or exploration company is quantified as resource/reserve estimates with associated error levels that, in many cases, are unknown. Consequently, the estimation procedure should incorporate efforts to minimize errors at every level of decision.
This short course will consider the detailed methodology of various resource/reserve estimation methods that are in common use in the Mining Industry. Emphasis will be on general procedures, inherent assumptions, and advantages and limitations of each of the principal methods.
For many of the mineral ore estimation methods, decisions are required that have a bearing on classification of resources/reserves. Consequently, criteria for classification will be discussed from the perspective of the estimation procedure.
All methods require assumptions, either implicit or explicit, that impact significantly on quantity and quality of estimated resources/reserves, for example, block size, search radius, anisotropy, geological continuity, grade continuity, stationarity, etc. The nature of these assumptions will be discussed in detail.
Who Should Attend?
The course is aimed at geologists, mining engineers, surveyors, geo-statisticians, and any other professionals dealing with the estimation of resources/reserves in a mining context.
Course content:
An overview of Mineral Resource Estimation procedures
The key advantage of integrating geo-statistics: why use it?
Spatial data analysis: experimental variograms
Variogram models
The theory and properties of kriging
Kriging in practice including Kriging Neighborhood Analysis (KNA) and cross-validation
In situ resource estimation
Introduction to resource classification (Inferred – Indicated – Measured)
Methods to be discussed include:
polygonal estimation
nearest neighbor estimation triangular estimation
contour estimation, method of sections (plans) estimation
inverse distance estimation, and ordinary kriging estimation
Key Features
Half of the course is devoted to methodological presentations, the second half to practical exercises to deepen the understanding of concepts. Focus is on illustrations and practical contribution of the covered concepts.
Course material provided.
All lectures are in colorful presentation
All lectures are interspersed with interactive discussion
All lectures include group discussion, case history and exercises